Question for the Old Guys (and Old Gals)

[Eight Thumbs]

This is a question for the older tyers in the group who remember Herter's, Fireside Angler and Fly Fisherman's Book Case. All the posts about Avian Flu have raised the question concerning the danger of imported feathers. I was wondering how many of us have Indian and Chinese necks (and saddles) that were imported before the advent of genetic hackle and certainly before Avian Flu. How many took advantage of those days when necks or saddles (except for grizzle) could be had for a couple of bucks each? Funny, but there seemed to be little interest in cree necks back then. Places like Fireside Angler sold 10-12 rooster capes for $10 (sometimes for less) and 10-12 hen necks for $6. Quality ran for surprisingly good to totally unusable. Herter's leaned in the unusable direction and Eric Leiser's Fireside Angler leaned in the surprising good direction.

After that long-wind lead-in, I have two questions. The first is how many of these antique necks do you have hidden away in your collection? I actually took them out and counted. I've got 42 rooster capes and 34 hen necks. I actually thought that the number was larger.

Second question is, Do you use them on a regular basis? My answer is yes but not for hackling #14 and smaller Catskill dry flies or particularly parachutes---the genetic saddles are just so much easier to use. I have an endless supple of tailing material, hackle for soft hackle flies and dry fly hackle for sizes #12 and larger. As suggested in another post they also make really good streamer wings. I find the feather are a little short to do s good hackling job wooly buggers.

How about you? How many do you have stashed away and do you use them on a regular basis? 8T

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You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it's a real short camping season.




[This message has been edited by Eight Thumbs (edited 22 October 2005).]

[RonMT]

I use to order from two of those companys Herters and Fireside Anglers. I use to get some of my Metz Capes from Eric. I had wholesale accounts with him. I bought most of my Indian capes from Dan Baileys as they were right here and I could high grade them. Again wholesale. By the way I still have a couple of AAA Junglecock capes I got from Herters LOL I believe I paid like 6 bucks each for them if I remember right. Back then that was a lot of money.

Up until about a month and a half ago I had a lot of Indian capes rat holed. But do to a flood I lost by count 153 of them. I still have a couple of berrals of them left but do not know how many. I use to buy them by the hundred as that was the best way to get the best price. What I didn't want I would sell to others.

As for the cree capes one person that I know loved them was Polly Rosebrough. I use to find and save them for him. He loved to tie his nymphs and a few drys with that hackle. Great tier to. Sorry he is gone now.

I still use mine for many things but I find I go to them when I run out of other things first. Or when I know I can't find what I will need elsewere.

I tie for a living and speed is very important to me. If I can tie one or two more flies an hour by using the newer hackle then I will use it and do.

I to think that with the Bird Flu we will be missing these capes in the near future. It will be a shame but that is the way things go. Can't do thing about it. Ron

[This message has been edited by RonMT (edited 22 October 2005).]

[Greenmtnflier]

I still have about 45 Indian necks stashed away and are mostly browns, light gingers, and creams. They still get some use for tailing material, quill bodies, and for hackle point wings. Herter?s used to sell ungraded Indian necks 6 for $5.37 back in 1972. A friend used to buy 1,000 necks at a time from a feather merchant directly from India back in the late 70?s as he tied commercially. A lot of what he received was junk but apparently there was always plenty of good hackle to make it worthwhile for him. He always got a certain percentage of whites and creams which he photo dyed to make the blue dun color. Then the genetic capes came on the scene and the Indian capes pretty much lost his interest. The Indian necks still serve a purpose for me and for a long time the Indian capes were all that we had to use- and now with the genetic capes today we sure have some really nice hackle to tie with. I wonder what it will be like 5 to 10 years from now!

[white43]

I used Herters for all my fly tying gear when I first started tying in the 1950s but I can no longer remember when the heck I it all was. All of it was used except for some strange devise that is used to hold a wing while you tie in down. Somewhere I have the old four-well Herter's vise, but I simply can't find it. Maybe when we retire and head back to the farm in Missouri. JGW

[LadyFisher]

Qualifying as 'old' we found other sources for hackle. JC had a preacher friend who would send him the skins of the 'loosers' in cock fights. And then there was the fun of prowling around chicken yards at night to pick out the best hackle on the birds who were roosted. The availabity of wonderful hackle today is a marvel!



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LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL



[This message has been edited by LadyFisher (edited 23 October 2005).]

[MR.JML]

Always had some nice necks from Herters.
Nice price too !!!! Ohhhhhhhh well, so much for them good ole days !!!!!

[AlanB]

I wouldn't like to guess how many "old" Indian and Chinese capes I have. Must be hundreds.

About Avian Flu. The government here have said there should be a world wide ban on the trade in live birds. Apparently there is no danger from the meat of dead birds. IF that is true then there can surely be no danger from capes.

As to this being true or not, that is another discussion. However golden pheasant tails are getting hard to get hold of.

Cheers,
Alan.

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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"